Summit Diplomacy at the Interregional Level: an Analysis from the Relationship between the European Union and Latin America

Abstract

Summit diplomacy is an increasingly common but overlooked practice in international relations. Periodic meetings between Heads of State and Government constitute a space from which important decisions are made in order to face growing common challenges at the international level. This diplomatic practice has not only strengthened relations between states but has also favored the development of interregional relations which are important in the context of latent transnational threats. This paper aims to present the conceptual framework for the study of summit diplomacy and to analyze the particular case of the biregional relationship between the European Union and Latin America, whose most significant advances were achieved in the context of this diplomatic practice. Within the analysis, joint declarations are examined in order to provide a diagnosis about the common values and the areas of cooperation that both regions have prioritized throughout their twenty years of strategic partnership. Issues such as gender equality and sustainable development have become increasingly relevant on the biregional agenda in line with international trends. However, beyond joint declarations, it is necessary to create follow-up mechanisms to the reached agreements in order to promote the transparency of joint projects and to be able to determine to what extent summit diplomacy fulfills its objective of strengthening relations between actors at the international level.